Submitted by: Danielle Rosellison of Trail Blazin’ Productions
So, you want to try cannabis, but don’t want to:
- Be blitzed out of your mind
- Smoke
- Eat everything you’re trying NOT to eat in the pantry
- Fall asleep (or maybe you want to fall asleep)
Don’t worry, there are lots of different ways to try cannabis. We just need to find the one that works for you!
Flower/Joints
Puff puff pass. When most people think of cannabis, this is what they think: pipes, bongs, joints. While smoking anything isn’t particularly good for you, this is a great way to feel the effects of cannabis immediately. Your high will peak right away and then slowly fade over time. This method of consumption encapsulates the traditional cannabis circle, sharing with your friends while laughing and giggling. There is just something very community oriented around this consumption method.
With flower and joints, it’s difficult to quantify your high. How much do I smoke? If you’re an occasional consumer or new to smoking I would have ONE small hit off a joint or a rice size hit off a pipe without inhaling. If you want more in thirty minutes, have more. If it’s still not enough, try inhaling a little…but not a lot. You’ll know immediately if you got more than you’re comfortable with. LESS IS MORE.
You’ll also want to start with a high CBD to THC ratio. CBD counters the anxiety commonly associated with THC. If it’s not enough, then find a 1:1 CBD:THC ratio and slowly work in more THC from there. Always read the labels and review the THC and CBD percentage no matter what the budtender recommends.
Vaping
Many people like vaping as it allegedly doesn’t negatively affect your lungs like smoking does. Basically, you’re just smoking the vapor, not the plant material, so it has less adverse effects. Vaping causes the same type of instant high that smoking flower and joints cause; you feel the effects immediately and then slowly sober up over time.
There are different types of vaporizers. Volcanos, like bongs, are meant to be home and stay home; they don’t really travel easily. You put the flower material into the volcano which puffs up this large plastic bag. You then inhale the vapor from the bag.
You can also use vape pens, which come prefilled with “oil.” Please be aware that the oil in these pens, while incredibly convenient, are usually cut with other ingredients to make the oil less viscous so it can be pulled through the pen. Sometimes these other ingredients are not particularly healthy for you.
Tinctures/Capsules
Tinctures and capsules are my personal favorite. Assuming you find a company who is consistent, you can figure out how to accurately dose yourself for the effects that you’re looking for. Shake well before consuming. Theoretically, tinctures and capsules should have minimal ingredients and you’ll slowly ease into the effects between one to two hours after consumption. Without getting too sciency on you, when the cannabis effects hit has a lot to do with the method of application and the ingredients of the tincture. For instance, letting the tincture sit between your lips and your gums before swallowing will cause the effects to happen sooner than if you just swallow the tincture or capsule. Capsules are harder to dose unless it’s a hard capsule or they are microdosed (like 1mg per capsule).
LESS IS MORE. You can always add more the next day or after at least two hours. Do not make the common mistake of “I don’t feel anything” after an hour, take more, and then suddenly you feel the effects and realize that you just doubled down. No one likes being too high.
The ease and discretion of tinctures and capsules is also appealing; it’s easier to explain to your kids.
Look for a good sleeping tincture, which is high in the terpene Myrcene. Don’t worry about the THC and the threat of being “high.” Take some before bed, maybe in a warm cup of tea, read your book, and then you’ll slowly close your eyes. A good tincture should help you sleep eight hours straight.
Look for whole plant extracts which means you get the full “Entourage Effect” of all the different types of cannabinoids and terpenes. Research has discovered that full plant extracts have fewer side effects than isolated compounds pulled from the cannabis plant and reintroduced to a synthesized concoction.
Tinctures and capsules can also be used recreationally for the minimalist who doesn’t want a bunch of other stuff in their cannabis. It’s imperative, like with all products we consume, that you read the labels and know what you’re putting into your body. For this reason, and the ability to more accurately dose myself, I prefer tinctures to edibles.
Topicals
Probably the most non-contentious use of cannabis. Topicals come in all forms from lotions to balms to bath bombs to transdermal patches to lip balm. It’s basically your full array of beauty products. Some can get you “high.” Others won’t. Some are highly effective when it comes to relieving symptoms such as pain, inflammation or dry skin. Others don’t do anything. It all depends on the recipe and your body type. It’s trial and error, just like all the other consumption options. However, the good news is the chances you get the classic “high” are a lot less with topicals than with other options.
Apply a small amount to the area you so choose and rub until it’s warm. This friction will help activate the cannabinoids. Like other infused products, it can take one to two hours to feel the effects. If you’re trying to relieve symptoms, it’s good to stay on top of it and follow a regular regime rather than waiting until it hurts again to reapply.
Look for whole plant extracts as research suggests that whole plant extracts are more effective with fewer side effects than isolating a cannabinoid and adding it to a synthesized concoction. Ask your budtenders, and just as important, know your farm. Most farms will happily answer questions you have about their products.
Edibles
Edibles seem to be all the rage in retirement communities and among professionals. Like tinctures and capsules, you’ll feel the effects one to two hours after consumption. The high is more of a bell shape, where it starts out nonexistent, ramps up and then ramps back down. It also tends to be more of a full body high than a cerebral high, but don’t let that fool you…you’re still going to feel it!
There are a few things you need to watch for with edibles:
- Edibles come in 10mg doses. If you are an occasional consumer, you most likely do NOT need 10mg. Start with a quarter of that. Some companies make candies that are 1mg a piece with 10 pieces in a bag. This is a great way to figure out how much you need for the effects that you want. LESS IS MORE!
- Keep out of reach of kids. I keep my edibles in my purse, and as I was having a half a bright blue, sugar-coated gummie one day my 6 and 8 year old’s were like, “Mama, what’s that? Can I have one!?!” Teachable moment commence. I showed the products to my kids and said, “See how thick this plastic is? Any candies you find in my purse that need scissors to open have cannabis in them and are not for you. If you ate one, you’d feel REALLY weird and would not be happy.” Make sure you take the necessary precautions if you’re into edibles.
- Don’t eat too much. LESS IS MORE (have I said this yet?!) It’s the classic issue that they give you a 10mg chocolate and you’re supposed to have a nibble. A nibble!? Why make it taste so good if I can only have a nibble?! Make sure you have other munchies around and avoid any temptations to eat the rest “just cause you’re hungry.” Eating too much of an edible is the most common way to overdose. If you have too much, you’re not going to die, but you’re not going to feel very good either, and you may never want to try cannabis again!
It’s important to note that if you are drug tested, you could fail for use of ANY of these products. Make sure you are comfortable with the risks before consuming cannabis, THC and/or CBD in any form.
Danielle Rosellison is an owner and operating manager of Trail Blazin’ Productions, a cannabis farm in Bellingham. Trail Blazin’ cultivates award-winning, pesticide-free, sustainably grown with LED’s and a water reclamation system, medically certified legal cannabis.
Danielle is also the president of The Cannabis Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of a sustainable, ethical and vital cannabis industry, and an Ambassador to the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce.
In her spare time (ha!), she loves to travel, read, ski (or snowboard) and see live music with her kids and her best friend and husband, Juddy.
*Required Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. Nothing in this article is to be construed as medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
